Oct
15
Written by:
Tony Lopresti
10/15/2009 5:14 PM
I recently read Lisa Barone’s blog entry about how companies shouldn’t “forgot about real customer service” and it got me thinking. In this time of social media bandwagon hopping, are we forgetting the basics? I too, leapt on, but a recent customer experience leads me to to consider an example of a company that provides great customer experiences the old fashion way.It wasn’t always like this with Cox. I remember the dark days of Cox when I was in college. Then it was long waits, poor service, and rude employees. Well I have to hand it to them. They’ve changed dramatically. Now I happily pay Cox for phone, Internet, DVR and TV. Here are some of the things they seem to do exceptionally well.
With 6 million customers, Cox Communications, in my opinion, is a company that does a fantastic job implementing strong customer experience processes.It seems others agree with my experience judging from DSL report’s ranking of cable providers
Genuine Customer Retention Programs
Early last year, there was finally competition for cable services in my neighborhood. So I did what anyone would do – called Cox to see if I could get a discount. I dialed Cox’s 800# and was geared up for a fight, not really knowing if I was truly willing to give up my Cox email I’d had for 10+ years, or not. What happened next was very odd. I didn’t get bounced around to 3 different people. I didn’t get a chance to yell and scream. I didn’t get a rude or disinterested rep on the phone. Shockingly, after explaining my situation to one person, one time, they politely and immediately offered to lower my rate by 25% in exchange for a 2 year commitment. All the other details were worked out. Knocked the fight right out of me. The systems in place to process my call and the empowered employee helped Cox retain a customer. Terrific!
Proactively Building Customer Loyalty
Everyone likes freebies. Especially me. As an example, when I had more time on my hands, I used to find every which way possible to maximize frequent flyer perks – signing up for promotions, linking to dining plans, referring people, etc. But I digress….a few months ago, Cox sent me a free pay per view movie voucher. I simply sent it in with my next bill and the movie I just purchased was conveniently removed. Even better, they sent me a customer appreciation dinner card for local restaurants within a 5 mile radius of my house. In both cases, Cox made it super-easy to take advantage of Freebies. Compare that to downloading a cash-back voucher from a website, physically mailing a proof of purchase, and getting a check in the mail 6 months later (if you are lucky). Unlike most, Cox’s approach told me that they actually wanted me to take advantage of this “gift.” They also sent these things proactively – not as a result of me complaining about poor service or other problems. As a result, I feel special and valued.
Customer Service with Empathy
More recently, I was in bed for a week following leg surgery and HAD to get a new HD TV for my bedroom (ok it wasn’t EXACTLY medically necessary). So I got my new TV and called Cox to get a new HD box. They said they were going to send it to me but it didn’t arrive two days later, as promised. I called and the rep carefully listened to my situation and genuinely seemed to care. She then said the box was sent via Fedex, that they weren’t sure what happened, but that they were going to send a free technician to install the box the SAME DAY. Great! This was definitely an expensive fix for Cox, but they clearly had a process that considered the overall value of me as a customer as compared to the expense of a technician visit and empowered the service representative to immediately authorize the visit without any additional hassle to me.
Enable Self Service through the Right Technology
At about 430pm that same day, I panicked that I wasn’t going to get my TV until the next day. I called the 800# and they magically linked my telephone number to my account and asked me “if I was calling to find out when my technician was arriving.” I said, “yes,” to the computer woman, and she immediately answered “between 5:00 and 5:30. A few weeks later, my Internet didn’t work. I called computer woman again who asked me after a single menu option if I needed my modem reset. I said “yes” and my Internet started working again within a few minutes. What a great integration of technology and customer service!
So that’s why I love my cable guys. They do the old fashion stuff right – be proactive, listen, respond genuinely, empathize, and use the right technology.